Confused about the availabilty of the DLR Pumpkins

[Iris]

Ok, it was my understanding that the new Quest Pumpkin from DLR was given to each valid ticket holder. Is this not true?

Sadly, I have seen a single seller on "that auction" place that has already sold a total of 78 Pumpkins and currently has another 7 up for auction.

How is this possible? I thought you had to turn in a quest to get this card and that you had to show your ticket as well. Is this not the way?

I am searching for two more pumpkins but it would seem that the people who got their cards honestly, were only given one per ticket. So how does this one individual get so many. I can see if they had taken some previously used park tickets and tried to get more that way, but 78!!!

PS-thank you to a very kind DISer who traded me for one of them. We are going to share this one, my girls and I, so I really appreciate it.

 

[Laurabearz]

I have been watching that person also.... My guess is... they work/have cose ties at VMK central... <gasp>

 

[Maleficent2]

I totally agree with you on this CLF....it is not right that one person receive so many even if they had 78 valid tickets.

I really do not care if the tickets were valid and paid for....I had a hard time with 1 CM when we were at WDW getting the Quests that my family had done. And in fact was not given One GOLD COLLECTION ( I had PDF for only 2) because the CM said my PDF was invalid. IT was not! I stayed up late the night before we left finishing the Hidden Mickey Quest and printed off both PDF's and both were indeed valid. She also was very rude and acted like I was trying to steal something getting the quests for the rest of my family(who were there with me-there was 7 of us total) Our reservations were broken into 2 times so we had valid tickets for each part of the vacation so actually I could have received all the quests again for the second part but did not because of the way this CM treated me. I felt so mistreated by this CM that I almost did not go back to get our thrill seekers quests.

Luckily the second CM was much nicer and the expiercence was much nicer. The moral to this is again...HOW can one person get 78 pumpkin quests and others are treated so poorly when only trying to recieve the quests they are entitled too.

Laura-

If your assumption is corrrect this person (if a CM or a friend of a CM) if CM needs to be at the least reassigned and if a friend of a CM then again the CM providing this person with Quests cards/codes needs to be dealt with appropriately.

 

[Roxane]

I've heard that one of the sellers of VMK stuff from CA does indeed work at VMK central. I don't know if it's true, but I think it is.

 

[Maleficent2]

I've heard that one of the sellers of VMK stuff from CA does indeed work at VMK central. I don't know if it's true, but I think it is.

Then that to me is theft and he/she should be appropriately dealt with.

 

[Grumpy_Disney_Dad]

Just out of curiousity has anyone thought of reporting that ebay listing to Disney customer relations? I can see getting up to 10 if you had a large family, but unless that person went with a marching band, it is hard to imagine over 80 limited quest items like that.

 

[Iris]

If in fact this individual happens to be a cast member at DLR, I can almost guarantee that they are most likely being watched and they are treading water. As everyone is well aware, there are many castmembers who will purchase items at a discount or acquire items and then resell them for profit. Disney is well aware of this activity but often considers it small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.

However, when the amount becomes excessive, then they will begin to monitor the activity. I was still with the company back in 2000 and remember several incidents that occured. The first was in 2000 concerning the release of the Pins of the Month. Each edition size was limited to 5000 at the beginning. Each month, there was a seller who would sell 100 of them, on the first day of release. Now at the time, there was a process of number distribution which allowed a guest to purchase only two at a time until the line died down. Somehow this seller had 100 each and every month. I heard throught the grapevine that sometime in the summer, Disney began to monitor the activity of this seller and began to investigate. It all came to a head in October, when the edition size dropped to 3000. Besides the fact that 2000 sets could now not be completed, the seller still had 100 to sell on the first day. The end result was an arrest of a Disney Castmember who worked at the warehouse distribution and had stole the pins outright before they even reached the shops. This arrest also happened because many guests reported the activity to Disney.

Another incident dealt with a "super trader" (anyone remember them?). These traders were given the newest cast lanyard series pin releases and were to trade them with guest. One trader decided to take them and sell them in bulk on ebay. Disney again monitored this individual and the end result was termination. Again, many guests reported the auction sale activity to Disney and alerted Disney to the situation as well.

Finally, at the stores, we used to be given gifts at Christmas time. One year we were given a Cast Member Mickey Beanie ~ when beanies were all the rage. Several Store managers were caught selling them at $500 a pop. Needless to say they were terminated.

They do and continue to monitor the auctions sites. They also take any reports of suspicious activity quite seriously. When the amount becomes excessive, that is when they go into action.

Now this person could also be a "friend" of a castmember too. If that is the case, they are jeopardizing the employment of that friend.

There is a fine line as to what is "too much" and frankly I do not know what it is. However, even given the opportunity, I know I would never take 80 plus cards of something that is so limited. My mom and many of our family members were just at WDW the first week of October. They had between all of them, 17 valid tickets! (this included Halloween Party Tickets). Guess how many well cards they got? ONE!!!!

Mal, you must have had the same castmember I had last year in December. We went to VMK central during the old pirate quest release. We had 12 valid tickets between all of us, and guess how many they gave us? TWO pirate quest packs!!! Actually they tried to give us only one, claiming that it was only one per family. Fortunately I knew better and had to fight for the second pack. Then I was told, "well, we don't have that many and we have to save it for other families!"

I just don't see how many of us have to fight for the few precious cards we get, while others get the mother load.

Last point, I don't think these pumpkin cards can be compared to the Animator's Desks, Golden Doors, etc. Those cards were free for the taking, no answers needed, no ticket to show. This pumpkin card required you to show your valid ticket and turn in answers.

I still just don't get it. Off my soap box now.

 

[darkacre]

One other possibility: the first day or two, VMK central in California did not have the scan card, so there was no way to make sure that guests did not get more than one pumpkin per ticket/pass. As a "Mickey Mouse" fix, they retained all the quest pages that were turned in. This meant that you could keep going back for more if you had a large number of pages, and you just waited until they rotated cast members. I saw a couple of people that I suspected were doing that on Tuesday, October 10. We got four that night, realizing that, not having scanned our APs to the pumpkin quest bar code, we would be able to get another four later. We did not get more than one set that day, though, and by the time we returned on Friday the 13th, the system was fixed and no one could get more than one. I don't know if the fix came on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, but until they got that bar code, the more, um, enterprising VMKers with families of 2, 3, 4, 6, whatever, could probably have gone back several times. Imagine if you will, a group of 4 with a burning desire to score as many of those as possible, especially if they thought they could ebay them for $50 a pop. Could they print out 20 pages? Sure. Could they turn the stuff in 20 times? Possibly.

Oh, and to cut down on the other method - saving up used single day tickets - VMK has started writing VMK and the date on the back of tickets used to turn in stuff.

 

[Roxane]

I wish they would write the date on our tickets! I always have to ask for a scan to see when my 90 days are up

 

[Laurabearz]

I wish they would write the date on our tickets! I always have to ask for a scan to see when my 90 days are up

You could write it on there yourself.... Which of course is easier said than done... I ahve a bunch of hoppers that might have a day or two left of them, but I forget which ones have what days left.... I really should take them to Guest services and write on the back what is availble on them (of course then I would have to make another note each time I use them and once we are past the gates evveryone is too excited to even think about 'paperwork')

 

[Goofy_Bob]

It is possible to get a few extras. I know, ahem, "someone" who went to DLR last Tuesday and yesterday. While they were there Tuesday they turned in the Quest w/their AP and got a single Pumpkin Card. They then asked a family of four (strangers) to take up a print out and got four extra cards. Then during yesterday's visit, another stranger was asked to use her ticket and got another spare. This person doesn't have a burning desire to get 80 or to sell them for cash ( Hmmm... j/k), just happy with a handful of extras to get a few missed Old Quest items (Fire Walls, Clocks, etc.) and/or make cheap trades w/friends and Dissers.

My point? If this "someone" could easily get a handful of spares in two visits, imagine what a determined person or persons could do. Especially if they lived closer and visited daily.

Now I'm not saying who this "someone" is. I don't see anything wrong with getting a few spares... maybe even a dozen. And if this person or any other were to sell a few on eBay, well, so what? IMHO, I wouldn't even call that bad.

But I do agree that 79 is quite excessive and certainly taking advantage of the situation. If it's a cast member, termination (at least) should occur. If a guest with a burning desire? Well, I guess it would depend on how they got them. If direct stealing (grabbing cards out of a unattended drawer or display, etc.), then charges of theft - certainly! If just asking 78 other people for use of their ticket... well... maybe... revocation of their AP (assuming they have one)... Or maybe nothing. Again, those 78 other people are entitled to a card... the fact that they gave their cards away shouldn't be punishable, should it? Hmm...

 

[Disney Dreams]

Wow! It would be fascinating to know how this person got so many. The VMK Central Staff at DL ABSOLUTELY scans each and every ticket witha correctly filled out quest before issuing the "pumpkin card."

I have seen them do it. Have a seen every single CM? No, of course not. But we nickname VMK Central at DL Fort Knox for a reason.

How does someone get so many???

 

[Since1971]

I just don't see how many of us have to fight for the few precious cards we get, while others get the mother load.

I think it is a matter of the law of averages. We live close and have seasonal passes so we go frequently. Eventually from all the times we have gone, we will get a lot of nice CMs. Of course we have seen some not so nice ones, but the majority have been nice.

Here's an interesting story. One time when we were there recently, we started talking to one of the bus drivers. He was telling us about a person he worked with who is having to stay in England to avoid being arrested in the States. He and this person (the thief) were working in It's A Small World when the ride was being renovated recently. In the confusion of them transferring the "dolls" to the warehouse for restoration, the thief took two of the "dolls" and put them into the trunk of his rental car. He immediately put them up on ebay and sold them for over $30,000 a piece. The theft was noticed very quickly, but not quickly enough to catch the person before the sales were completed. The thief went back over seas and if he nicely returns, he will be arrested.

I agree that getting that many is a little unexceptable. Like taking a three inch stack of well or wanted poster cards.

 

[Maleficent2]

It is possible to get a few extras. I know, ahem, "someone" who went to DLR last Tuesday and yesterday. While they were there Tuesday they turned in the Quest w/their AP and got a single Pumpkin Card. They then asked a family of four (strangers) to take up a print out and got four extra cards. Then during yesterday's visit, another stranger was asked to use her ticket and got another spare. This person doesn't have a burning desire to get 80 or to sell them for cash ( Hmmm... j/k), just happy with a handful of extras to get a few missed Old Quest items (Fire Walls, Clocks, etc.) and/or make cheap trades w/friends and Dissers.

My point? If this "someone" could easily get a handful of spares in two visits, imagine what a determined person or persons could do. Especially if they lived closer and visited daily.

Now I'm not saying who this "someone" is. I don't see anything wrong with getting a few spares... maybe even a dozen. And if this person or any other were to sell a few on eBay, well, so what? IMHO, I wouldn't even call that bad.

But I do agree that 79 is quite excessive and certainly taking advantage of the situation. If it's a cast member, termination (at least) should occur. If a guest with a burning desire? Well, I guess it would depend on how they got them. If direct stealing (grabbing cards out of a unattended drawer or display, etc.), then charges of theft - certainly! If just asking 78 other people for use of their ticket... well... maybe... revocation of their AP (assuming they have one)... Or maybe nothing. Again, those 78 other people are entitled to a card... the fact that they gave their cards away shouldn't be punishable, should it? Hmm...

Oh Bob I so agree....but it was implied that this person who had gotten 78 cards was a CM or a friend of a CM and if that is indeed the case that is unexcusable.


Iris- was she an older woman maybe spanish?

 

[Nanoer]

Anyone ever think that maybe the person DOESN'T have 80 cards? I did a ton of research when I was planning to buy a bass of ebay because I thought that no one in their right mind would sell a custom made first act for 5 bucks with free shipping. I read some the ebay guides people had posted and turned out that people make tons of accounts and give one main one good rep and buy stuff from themselves over and over. The really good scammers left a reasonable time period between the buys as well as varying reps.


I always put myself in the shoes of a scammer/hacker/etc. to protect myself from them. Like to protect myself from some of the newer hackers and to trick them incase they manage to get a hold of my password to make a really long password and then use 3 or more kinds of ciphers to encrpyt it more and threw in some random actual letters and numbers for the final touch. That way even if the hacker gets my password they will think that they messed up and it's gibberish so won't try it. It also works against hacking programs which decrpyt passwords(incase your on a network and someone take control of the master computer and copies your password which looks like ****.

Sorry for going a bit OT there